The Hero that Never Was
by Cindylou30
Summary: When Tony is erased from the time stream, will his friends ever be able to bring him back when they don't even remember him? And what happened to the villains that were never defeated by Iron Man?
1. Chapter 1

_A/N Hey, guys, I'm baaack! So this is an idea I came up with contemplating what would have happened in various situations if Tony had never existed to save the day and how different everyone's lives would be without him. School starts for me Monday (tomorrow), but I already have five chapters typed up so I just have to edit them and upload. If you have any questions regarding this, feel free to ask in a review or PM me!_

_I hope everyone enjoys! XD This is a bit of a slow chapter._

IMAA_ doesn't belong to me._

Chapter One

_"...I'll be completely erased from the space time continuum. At first you might have dim recollections of me. There might be people who remind you of me, there could be memories of conversations that never took place, friendships never forged, but then they'll fade. When they do, I'll be gone forever. But no, don't cry... You won't remember me, so you won't be upset. Just...if this is the end, I want to say... Pepper, I..."_

The redhead jolted awake, her breathing ragged and heartbeat erratic as her wide chocolate brown eyes snapped open and stared at the ceiling overhead. She sat up on the bed mattress, kicking the suffocatingly thick comforter off of her legs as she tried to recall her strange dream. Despite her attempts to preserve the memory of her vivid dream, it was fading as quickly as sand slipped between someone's fingers. There was something she should remember, something important... There was a boy, with a bright red shirt and electrifying blue eyes, who tried to reassure her about...about what? The memory had faded almost entirely, and with it the sense of urgency she had felt when she had tried to retrieve it from her mind.

But it didn't matter, anyways, she finally concluded with a yawn. It was just a dream, so it didn't matter if she didn't remember.

She pushed herself off of the bed, her bare feet hitting the hardwood floor with a dull thud as she stood, arching her back and stretching her arms over her head. She stumbled across the room, glancing at her tousled hair and puffy red eyes in the mirror before walking to the bathroom to brush her teeth and ready herself for the day.

Half an hour later she appeared in the living room, dressed and freshened up for the school day. She noticed her dad had left the television set on when he left for work and she sighed, dropping her backpack onto the couch and walking across the room. She paused, watching the screen intently for a moment, her interest captivated as she turned up the volume with the buttons on the side of the screen.

_"-as Howard Stark continues to talk about his latest manufactured weaponry. Back to you, Jim."_

_"Alright," _the spiky-haired blond with striking emerald green eyes said, flashing a toothy grin at the camera,_ "we have here with us Howard Stark, the sole mastermind behind the weapons company, Stark International."_

The camera panned out to where both thin, sapphire blue-eyed Howard and muscular Jim were in the frame. Howard had a dulled look in his eyes, dark circles lining them and his greying brown hair unruly. Pepper felt a pang as she stared at the image, as if she was supposed to connect the man with something, but then the sensation passed as quickly as it came.

_"So tell me, Howard-can I call you Howard?" _Jim continued_. "What are the weapons called? What do they do?"_

_"Well," _the multi-millionaire said, intwining his fingers on the desk in front of him as he leaned back in his vinyl chair,_ "they're called the Eliminator missles. They have a blast radius of up to twenty-seven miles and can wipe out several towns with one dropped nuke." _He paused._ "The fatalities would be quick and, for the most part, painless, of course."_

_"There you have it!" _Jim said, the camera's attention again focusing on him. _"Next we'll be covering the government's takedown of a green menace called the Hulk and discuss-"_

Pepper scowled in disgust, turning off the television and glaring at the blank screen as though it had wronged her. "Weapons don't solve a problem, they only create more."

_Where did that come from?_ she wondered. It was good advice, although she couldn't place who she had heard it from. Maybe she should use it.

Her phone began buzzing inside her purse and she hurriedly took it out, checking the caller ID before her face split in a grin and she lifted it to her ear.

"Hey, Dad! Are you-what? No, I-I'm not upset, it's your job-can I come? Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know, I'm an untrained adolescent. No, I just have a paper due today-you know I'll try. But wait-oh. Okay, I love you. B'bye." She hung up, frowning before tucking the phone back in her purse and starting for the front door, grabbing her backpack as she passed by the sofa. She paused, her eyes landing on a can of pepper spray lying on the stand beside the couch, before scooping it up and tucking it safely inside her hot pink side pouch. She couldn't be too careful, what with all of these masked menaces running loose in New York.

_There should be someone to protect the city from all of these supervillains, _she thought as she stepped outside, closing the front door behind her.


	2. Chapter 2

_A/N Thanks SilverPedals1402 (Thanks! :D ), Carpetbakr ( Thanks a ton! ), PercyJacksonLover14 (Thanks, and haha, it went well, thank you! :) ), UltraRed55 (Aw, thank you! I'll be sure to PM you if I need help! ;) ), katie (Thanks!), Alice. Dreamer 15 (Thanks! Glad you like. :D And I will!), and Norrieo (Thanks, I'm glad you like it so far!) for reviewing on chapter one._

_Phew! The first day of school and I already have homework. Evil, evil teachers. Haha, just kidding, though I already feel swamped. Plus I need a calculator for one of the honors classes that costs approximately a hundred dollars! Seriously? But all-in-all, it was pretty nice seeing everyone again after the summer. By the way, how was everyone's summer? _

_This chapter is just kinda demonstrating a few of the differences in NYC and all. Don't worry, it starts to speed up later on and the chapters'll get longer. Hope you enjoy!_

IMAA_ doesn't belong to me. :(_

Chapter Two

Pepper was rifling through the contents of her locker, searching for her history paper that was due later that day, when the screams caught her attention. Slamming the metal door shut, she followed the other students around the corner to see the cause of the commotion.

"No, please," Jean Grey, a girl in two of her classes that mostly kept to herself, pleaded as four men in grey suits and masks similar to gas masks pinned her to the floor, tears trickling down her cheeks as luminescent green chains were wrapped around her wrists and she was jerked to her feet, a laser gun pressed warningly against the small of her back as she was marched forward, the crowd parting to allow them to pass.

"What are you doing?" Pepper screeched in horror, her voice melting in with the monotonous screams of the students of the Academy. One of the masked men's words somehow was heard over the shouts of teenagers; mutant. At the word, the angry shouts of protest from the teenagers turned to those of disgust.

"Freak!" a boy to Pepper's left shouted, cupping his hands around his mouth to strengthen his voice to be heard above the chaos. "Weirdo! This school is for humans, not freaks of nature!" Several crumpled sheets of paper and crushed drink cans smacked against the girl's face and body, making the tears flow in rivulets down her cheeks before her lengthy auburn hair fell to conceal her face.

"Stop! Can't you see how inhumane you're being to her?" a boy in several of Pepper's classes named Rhodey shouted, shoving one of the guards backwards. With a sharp crack, the barrel of one of the men's guns connected with his jaw, and Rhodey stumbled backwards holding his hand to his chin, blood gushing between his fingers. The redhead shook her head slowly at the brutality, watching helplessly as Jean was shoved down the hall, disappearing out of sight, concealed by the whooping students.

"Are you okay?" Pepper asked as she hesitantly approached Rhodey as the crowd dispersed. He merely nodded, grimacing in pain as he cupped his jaw with his palms. "Hold on, I've got something for the blood." Digging through her purse, Pepper seized a long roll of gauze, unrolling it and moving the boy's hand away as she pressed the white material to the gash on his chin and busted lip. "I can't believe our government permits them to do that," she muttered. She could see that the actions were carried out because of fear that the mutants would rise up against the humans, but this was going too far.

"I know. And incidents like that are becoming a common occurence. Tony would flip if he'd seen that," Rhodey mumbled with a scowl. "It's sick and cruel."

"Who's Tony?" Pepper queried distractedly as she finished caring for the teen's injury. She didn't know of any boys in her grade with that name.

"I dunno," Rhodey shrugged, unconcerned, in mild confusion, "I don't know why I said that." He smiled sheepishly. "Well, thanks for patching me up. It's Pepper, right? I've sat beside you in economics all year and I hardly ever talk to you. Sorry, you just seemed a little..."

"Odd?" Pepper finished with a strained smile, unable to shake the image of Jean being dragged away from her mind. "Make no mistake, I am very odd."

"Well, I owe you one. Is there anything I can do for you?" he asked.

"Actually, I might be sorta-kinda flunking economics," Pepper said with a faint blush, "and you have the highest score in there..."

"Tomorrow at four at the restaurant down the street? My dad's on leave for a week and Mom has this big thing planned this afternoon so I'm busy today."

"Yeah, thanks," Pepper said, forcing a smile as he walked away. "Wait!" she cried, a thought suddenly striking her. "Are you sure you don't know someone named Tony?" She was shocked at the sound of urgency in her voice, unsure why it even mattered or why she was prying in someone else's business.

Rhodey paused for moment, thinking. Finally he shook his head and shrugged in apology before leaving. Pepper leaned against the lockers for a moment, closing her eyes as an image of a boy her age kneeling over a strange metal suit, his face tilted away and yet she knew it was the same boy from her dreams. Then the tardy bell rang, snapping her out of her reverie as she rocketed down the corridor.


	3. Chapter 3

_A/N Immense thanks to Finny-Kun Goddess(Thanks!), SilverPedals1402 (Thanks a ton! I really wanted to show the differences with him gone, and I'm glad I got that across. :) ), PercyJacksonLover14 (I know, I always got mad when I'd see something about the mutant hatred. And thanks!), imaAvenger (Thank you! I'm really glad you're enjoying so far! ;) ), UltraRed55 (There's actually a reason for that, but it comes later and is kinda subtle... Thanks!), Norrieo (Thank you! I'm glad you're enjoying so far, and thanks for the compliment! :D ), Carpetbakr (No, you mustn't lose your mind! Who will update Hunted Hero? XD ), Alice. Dreamer 15 (Thanks, and I'm glad you like it! :D )_

_School has consumed most of my time as of late. And since I have extra homework from my honors classes, I don't have time to write till almost ten at night. While my best ideas come at night, I'm so bushed that I usually end up falling asleep at the computer and waking up with the keyboard keys imprinted on my face. XD So that means I'll have to write extra fast on the weekends to try to have a few chapters already done that I just have to upload. I am so, so sorry for the long wait, and it shouldn't continue to take that long. Just the beginning of school is really...overwhelming._

_Immense apologies for the wait! There's a bunch of updates I need to read..._

_I hope everyone's lives are well. :)_

_I don't much like this chapter. I'm practicing at writing emotions, which is what I'm not so good at. So..._

_I HOPE YOU ALL ENJOY!_

_IMAA doesn't belong to me._

Chapter Three

Rhodey hurried down the street, hands stuffed in his jacket pockets and his head bowed against the biting wind that pierced his jacket like daggers. It was already an hour and a half later than he had said he would be home, and he didn't want to waste any more time before he could see his father again. It felt like forever since he'd left for the military, and barely legible letters and hurried calls he and his mom received from the man didn't make him miss his father any less.

He had just darted into the street, sidestepping a pedestrian with her baby girl snuggled warmly in her arms, when someone on the opposite sidewalk caught his eyes. He was wearing a red t-shirt and had a black book bag slung over his shoulders, his back to the teenager and a cap nestled snugly on top of his head.

Rhodey's heart plummeted, almond brown eyes widening in near recognition, until he caught sight of scraggly blond hair sticking out crazily underneath the man's navy blue cap and the feeling vanished, replaced with bitter disappointment. He felt as though a part of his heart had just been ripped from his chest, but before he could sort out why exactly, a car horn honked, snapping him out of his reverie. His eyes focused on a stout man slumped behind the wheel of a navy blue convertible in the same lane as he was, the adult slamming his fist on the steering wheel's center and honking irritably again for the teen to get out of his way, since Rhodey had halted in the middle of the road.

Muttering his apologies profusely, Rhodey strode across the street and onto the dismal sidewalk, glancing once more at the retreating figure of the man in the crimson shirt. He was surprised at the pang of loneliness that resonated deep within his chest, his slender fingers tracing up the side of his face until he felt the corners of his eyes, bewildered to find they were damp. What was wrong with him? It was like his body was reacting to some sort of pain he couldn't seem to place, as if his head and heart were at war with one another.

_I just miss Dad, _Rhodey assured himself. _That's all. Nothing to get worked up over._

Even as he told himself that, he knew it wasn't true.

IMAAIMAAIMAA

Pepper collapsed onto her bed, groaning loudly and squeezing her eyes tightly shut as her legs lazily sprawled off of the mattress. School had been particularly grueling that day, the students of the Academy laden with assignment after assignment, none of the teachers lenient with the difficulty and length of the essays and worksheets. She just wanted to lay there forever, blissfully alienated from the rest of the bustling city, but after a few minutes became bored. She pushed herself to a sitting position, glancing at her book bag, flung carelessly beside her light pink and purple desk, full of homework assignments that needed to be completed.

Nope. She wasn't _that_ bored.

Hopping to her feet, she aimlessly strode into the hall, peeking from room to room on the corridor, seeking amusement of some fashion. Peering into her father's office, she smirked mischievously seeing the vacant grey laptop, entering the room and plopping down in the dark brown swivel chair, spinning herself around with the toes of her converse for a moment before her attention was captured by the computer. She flipped up the laptop's screen, the bright FBI home screen illuminating the shadows on her face. She tried to click on the search bar but a password prompt popped up. Frowning, the redhead typed in various words and phrases until she finally figured out the pass code on the eighth try. Her deft fingers expertly flew over the keyboard until she was staring at the search screen of the FBI database.

She leaned back in the chair, entwining her fingers in her lap as she stared intently at the screen. What should she look up? She had exhausted all of her previous curiosities with numerous searches on topics such as villains and SHIELD. Perhaps the boy she had been dreaming about? Maybe he was a real person she had seen once and her memories had prompted dreams about him. After a moment she leaned forward and typed the name 'Tony.'

_95,398 results found for: Tony_

Pepper frowned, her brow creasing. Of course she would need to be more specific, but what did she even know about her dream boy? For all she knew, he was a nobody that wouldn't show up on the FBI's database. She thought about the suit in her dream, the designs almost impossibly technologically advanced. She typed the word 'genius' beside the name, narrowing the search down to a few thousand, and, attempting to narrow it down further, she typed 'teenage technological genius' beside 'Tony.'

_0 results found for: Tony teenage technological genius_

Exhaling between her clenched teeth in exasperation, she stared vacantly at the screen. Maybe 'Tony' was a nickname of some sort. After typing 'Antonio' and 'Anthony' with no results, she growled in irritation, slamming the laptop close and ceasing her futile search. Maybe the teenager didn't exist at all and was just all a hoax of her overactive imagination.

_It doesn't matter, _Pepper told herself firmly, forcing herself out of the chair and exiting the room. _I've wasted enough time thinking about someone I don't even know exists._

No matter how many times she repeated this in her head, her heart refused to believe it.


	4. Chapter 4

_Thanks to Silverpedals1402 (Wow, thanks! I'm glad you liked it. :D Sorry for the wait. :/), Finny-Kun Goddess (Thanks! I hope you continue to enjoy it!), ImaAvenger (Thanks! Haha, no problem. ;) ONWARD!), Carpetbakr (Because... I am EVIL! Mwahaha! I know, I thought it was odd, too, at first, but then it became too compelling an idea to pass up. Aw, thank you!), PercyJacksonLover14 (Thanks, I'm glad you think so! I'm always trying to practice emotions and such... So thanks! :) ), and Silvertongued Dreams (More of a hallucination, at least in my mind. And thank you! I'm really glad you like it! :D ) plus whoever else reads this! And roninarnia!_

_I AM TERRIBLY SORRY FOR THE WAIT! Hurricane Isaac, although not carrying a lot of wind, did most of its damage in water. While my family, and my community for the most part (compared to other places) didn't get it quite as bad as we could have, we still had a lot of damage. A few days after the hurricane a tree that had been uprooted feel on a power line. While most of our power was fixd in the next few days, our wifi has yet to be fixed. I'm at McDonald's typing this because I feel terrible about the long wait. :(_

_I hope everyone is safe!_

_This chapter isn't as good as it could have been, but when our wifinis fixed I'll go back and edit. ;)_

Chapter Three

Pepper didn't get hardly any sleep that night, staying up late to finish the homework she had procrastinated to finish all week. At one point she had started to nod off, but the vivid dream of flying through the air, dipping and spinning thousands of feet above the city in light purple and white armor had been dispelled by the shriek of a woman in the distance, making the girl lurch awake, tensing and listening alertly. Cries and screams had become as common as the sound of car horns honking in New York, but every time she heard someone screaming for help it still sent shivers crawling up her spine.

Eventually, head bobbing threateningly as though she were about to fall asleep, she checked her alarm, blinking rapidly to shake the blurriness in her vision and make the blazing red numbers come into focus. She gasped, realizing it was past seven-thirty in the morning, jumping up off of the bed.

"Shoot, shoot, shoot, I'm late," she mumbled under her breath, running to grab her black high top converse. As she plopped down on the edge of her bed, yanking the scuffed shoes on and beginning to lace them up, she decided to take a shorter route to school. It was a lot more crowded than the one she usually took, but if she was late today then she would be facing up to a week in detention. She hurriedly stuffed her books back in her backpack, yanking it over her arms and rushing for the bedroom door when she caught sight of her reflection in a mirror and cringed. Her hair was sticking up every which way and under her eyes were dark circles. No way was she leaving the house like that, detention or not.

Another six minutes later, after fixing her hair, brushing her teeth and dabbing some makeup under her eyes to hide the darkness, she was rushing down the sidewalk in a surging sea of pedestrians. As she walked she rummaged through her unzipped backpack awkwardly swinging off of her arm and bouncing off her side, trying to locate a book to make sure she hadn't left it at home. Suddenly she gasped as she slammed into someone, crushing the air out of her lungs for a moment as she collapsed onto the sidewalk, letting out a little groan when she saw all of her books had fallen onto the damp cement.

"I'm so sorry!" a feminine voice above her gasped, and a moment later a tall woman in a long sleeved navy blue blouse and lengthy skirt was kneeling beside her on her knees helping her gather her things. "I wasn't watching where I was going."

"No, it's my bad," Pepper responded distractedly, glancing quickly at her before returning her attention to cramming her books into her backpack. "I was walking too fast and I was looking in my bag and-"

"Maria? Are you okay?"

Pepper's blood felt like it had been injected with ice as she looked up to see immaculately dressed Howard Stark watching them from the side of a jet black limousine parked several yards away. She glanced back at the woman, who was smiling apologetically at her, as the millionaire began to stride over to them.

"Oh, no no no no..." she mumbled as the pieces clicked together in her head. She had just ran into the wife of one of the richest, most powerful men on the Earth. Could she just die now?

She finished with her books, zipping up her bag and straightening as the inventor reached them, gently pulling his wife to her feet by tugging on her forearm. Blushing crazily, Pepper stuttered, "I'm so, so, so sorry! I didn't mean to- I was in a hurry and- gah, I'm so sorry!"

Howard let out a deep chuckle, smiling tiredly, although warmly, at her. "That's alright, no harm done."

Her face burning, Pepper awkwardly slung her backpack over her shoulder, finally daring to meet eyes with the woman. "Well, um, I'm really sorry, I'll try to be more careful..." The redhead broke off in mid sentence, tilting her head to the side as she stared at the woman, certain distinguishing features seeming to stand out to her. Dark ebony hair swept over her forehead and framed the sides of her face, cut off at her shoulders, and wide electric blue eyes gazed back at her filled with a kind of mischievous sparkle. It took her a second to place who the woman resembled, but then she let out a tiny gasp as she thought of the man from her dreams. Staring at the woman, and then the millionaire, they both seemed to have dozens of the same characteristics as Tony. And then there was the fact Howard Stark was a genius...and that armor couldn't have been created by just anyone...

Pepper felt her heart racing as her mouth opened and clamped shut again, trying to say something although she didn't know what. She glanced at Howard, who was watching her quizzically, and a name pushed its way to the front of her mind.

_Tony Stark._

The girl stumbled backwards, a hand clasping over her mouth in utter shock as she gaped at the two in recognition. Suddenly it seemed as though thousands of memories were flooding her consciousness, images and voices and snatches of conversation, all revolving around the man who had been occupying her dreams. Tony Stark. Tony the scientist, the inventor, a hero clad in crimson red armor, her friend. His voice echoed around her mind as years of memories poured into her head, nearly overwhelming her as she bit back a groan, kneeling forwards and holding her head between the palms of her hands.

_How on Earth had she forgotten_ _him?_

The next thing she recalled she was sprinting across the scuffed pavement, book bag bouncing lightly against her back as tears threatened to spill from her eyes, the bewildered would-be parents of the hero watching as she ran.


	5. Chapter 5

_A/N Thank: _

_Silvertongued Dreams- I'm so sorry it took so long to respond! I wasn't sure at first, but I looked it up and sure enough that was her name. I'm glad you enjoyed it and I hope you enjoy this chapter as well!_

_Silverpedals1402- Thank you! I'm super glad you enjoyed it! I hope this chapter is as entertaining. ;)_

_PercyJacksonLover14- Haha, thanks! I'm glad you like it!_

_UltraRed55- Yeah, but the east coast got it a ton worse with Sandy. And yes, Rhodey must remember! But will he? Mwahaha. :D_

_imaAvenger- Haha, thanks! Here's another helping! ;)_

_Carpetbakr- Because... I am evil! (ominous clap of thunder and lightning) And yeah, that's great, but I feel sorry for the east coast, with so many displaced and suffering from Sandy. Hurricanes! Why must you be so mean? And aw... :3_

_I've been swamped with work lately. If I'd know I was going to be so busy (and then the situation with wifi) I would have posted the chapters before school started, or waited until I had time, so I'm sorry to inconvenience y'all with the wait. I have a little bit of free time, so after this I'm getting caught up on all of the awesome stories I've missed. :) _

_Things start speeding up soon, 'promise. :D_

Chapter Five

Pepper bounded up the steps leading to the sweet sanctuary of her home, fumbling fingers brandishing a silver key from her pink side pouch and thrusting it into the lock. She tried to shove the door open before it was unlocked in her haste, taking a moment to insert the key and twist it properly, listening for the satisfactory click in the lock mechanism before she shoved the door open. The constriction in her chest tightened as she dove inside, slamming the door behind her and blocking out the cacophony of the city.

Tony Stark.

Pressing her back to the door, she slid to the carpet, folding her arms around her legs and propping her chin on her knees, the perpetual feeling of melancholy and fear that something was missing at an all time high, the only difference that now she knew why. She focused her sight on a blank space on the opposite wall, as though this would help her visualize _him_ better, looking for solace in her memories. She tried to remember his voice, his looks and attire, his attitude and personality, anything and everything she could remember.

The more she seemed to recall, the more vertiginous and surreal the memories seemed to become. Everything was spinning as her mind attempted to comprehend what it had long since concluded was the impossible, a mere figment of her imagination. A whole other life situated around a man that didn't even exist! She was oh so terrified that it was going to slip away once again, leaving her as clueless and naive as before, as the images were still at times blurry and the conversations indecipherable.

Two parts of her subconscious were locked in fierce battle with one another; the part that cried _This is ridiculous! You've gone insane! _and the part that countered with _You know it has to be true. _She couldn't latch onto either specific one, instead unable to maintain any solid ground in her thoughts. It all confused her...

Then, sudden, everything became sharp and clear as though she had burst through a dam holding back the memories, assuaging her confusion. With a gasp she realized she could remember everything about the strange reality, just as easily as she could summon the memories of school the previous day. Walking by the Stark Tower every weekday for years on her way to school, wondering if a boy up there her age was looking down on the pedestrians... Her first encounter with the closest thing America had to royalty, and befriending two new teens, finding herself thrown in the middle of the establishment of a team that would saves hundreds of lives and, eventually, the world. The gargantuan difference in the two worlds was astonishing, and she found herself yearning for the New York that only her new-found memories could provide her with. And this man, this technological genius, the epitome of selflessness and courage, Tony Stark was behind it all. Her best friend. A knight in shining red armor.

With tremulous hands, she lurched for her phone.

IMAAIMAAIMAA

"Dad..."

David Rhodes accepted his beaming son with inviting arms, tugging Rhodey to his chest before releasing the boy and stepping back to look at him.

"Oh, it's so good to see your smiling face again. Look at you," the man said, chest swelling with pride, "you've gotten so much taller!"

Indeed, Rhodey had grown several inches in the year since he had seen his father. Likewise, David had changed in appearance. His face was leaner, his arms were thicker and more muscular than he remembered, and his posture was pure perfection, holding the man up with a bold confidence; someone might as well have glued a meter stick to his neck and back. Besides that, his clothes were crisply ironed, his flannel shirt tucked and a belt looped around his waist. Somehow, Rhodey knew that the days of his dad running around in a baggy t-shirt and cargo shorts, shooting hoops with him at the local gym, were over. A bit sulkily, he wondered how else the war had changed him.

David's sight focused on a point just beyond his son, his almond brown eyes sparkling. Turning, the teenager saw his mother walking towards them before his father hurried forwards, scooping his wife into his arms and giving her a kiss that made his son groan in disgust and turn away, making Roberta and her husband chuckle.

Half an hour later, settled in the living room and plates heaped with coconut creme pie on their laps, David was playing catch up with his family, asking about what he had missed. Roberta, although acting calm and composed, was obviously ecstatic to have her husband home, safe at last. When she looked at him, her eyes lit up with a sparkle Rhodey hadn't seen in them in a long time.

The man didn't seem to want to dwell much on the occurrences of the war, but he couldn't seem to hear enough about the life of his family that he had missed. Instead, he kept twisting the conversation around to focus on his wife, then Rhodey, asking about school, the house improvements and the debate team.

After a while, after the conversation had turned to the law firm, Roberta shifted on the sofa uneasily, reluctant to digress to bad news. David nearly choked when he was informed someone had broken into the attorney's office and had ransacked her files.

"It's ludicrous what these masked idiots will do these days!" David exclaimed, sinking into the chair and spooning some pie into his mouth. Rhodey cleared his throat. No time to tell about bad news like after other bad news, and it was better to tell him himself before others told him.

"The Academy had a bomb threat called in a few weeks ago."

This time David did choke. After much coughing and back pounding, he turned to his son. "Are you serious?"

"Yeah. The NYPD bomb squad was called in to deactivate the bomb, but we all had to evacuate the school."

His father shook his head in disbelief. "Maybe we should have a unit stationed here, as well. I had no idea things had escalated to this point." His words hung in the air like the dwindling lights from an explosion of fireworks as everyone realized just how much David was in the dark about the city and his own family.

After a few moments of awkward silence, the teenager's cell phone began to play a snippet of a guitar solo, his ringtone. Checking the caller ID, he didn't recognize the number, although there was something vaguely familiar about it. Before he could answer, however, he felt his mother's hand on his forearm.

"Could you please put that away? Your father just returned home," she said, chastising him softly.

"I'll only be a minute..."

He cringed at the stern look she gave him. Consenting to put away his phone, he clicked the mute button and tucked it in his jacket pocket.

It was probably just a wrong number anyway.


	6. Chapter 6

_A/N Ciao! How has everyone been?_

_SilverPedals1402- Haha, I'm glad you like it! I was going for a bit of a mysterious vibe for something new after my other story, so I'm glad you enjoy it. :)_

_UltraRed55- Thank you! :D Gah, I'm glooowwwing now!_

_1-SID-1- I'm happy you like it! I'll try to keep updating a bit quicker. ;)_

_Carpetbakr- (Lol, I just made a typo and wrote Carpetbark O.o) Haha, Roberta...why've you got to be such a mother? Thank you!*high-pitched squeal that annoys everyone for miles*_

_PercyJacksonLover14- Thank yooou! :) When I was writing the first few chapters, I kept wishing they would remember, even though I was writing it. XP_

_Guest- Here you go! Enjoy! :)_

_I've got a little bit of free time, so I'll be attempting to catch up on stories I've been missing, finally..! If I miss someone's story you'd like me to read, leave a review or PM and I'd be delighted to read it when I have time. :D  
_

Chapter Six

_"Should I armor up?" Pepper inquired, glancing with longing at a bright purple and white body armor displayed proudly within holding chambers lining the walls. "I can call Rhodey and we can all check it out."_

She groaned, rolling onto her side.

_"No," the teen, Tony, dismissed with a wave of his hand as he slipped out from underneath some machinery, wiping his hands on his knees as he rose to his feet. He seemed oblivious to the fact she was aching to fly in her armor, which she hadn't done in almost a month. "Rhodey hasn't seen his dad in over a year, almost two, and you've got that thing tonight with your mom. I can take it. Besides, it's probably nothing. The computer might just be picking up lingering traces of Maggia equipment or something." Almost like magic, curved fragments of metal soared towards him, fitting smoothly to his outstretched arms, legs, body, and finally concealing his face as a crimson and yellow helmet engulfed his head. Strangely, the redhead didn't seem at all surprised as she watched the armor construct itself onto his body as though ordered by an unspoken command._

Her head listlessly tilted before turned rapidly back and forth, as though trying to see something through her closed eyelids.

_"Fine, just be careful," she ordered._

_"Why on earth would I be careful?" Tony asked, his voice, deepened within the armor, laced with sarcasm. "I'm gonna be as reckless as possible."_

"Tony!"

She lurched awake, breathing heavily, her heart pounding against her ribcage like the beating of a drum. It took a moment for it all to rush back to her, but to her surprise she was able to remember it all with distinctive clarity, as though it had been emblazoned in her brain. She held her head in her hands, the left side of her body sore; she had fallen asleep on her side on the cold wooden floor.

Her phone laid beside her, and she considered attempting to call Rhodey again; however, after checking the time and seeing it was only three hours past midnight, she dropped the phone to the floor once more in disgust. Pushing herself to her feet, she brushed off her pants and proceeded over to the computer, trying to make sense of her situation.

She'd forgotten. She might as well start from the basics.

Booting up the laptop, she pulled up Google and typed in "types of amnesia." Clicking on one of the first websites she scanned the list. Dissociative Amnesia, Transient Global Amnesia... Nothing mentioned making someone forget a specific person, but therein lied the problem; it wasn't just that she'd forgotten, but time had forgotten, as well. She continued to search anyway, more out of stubbornness than anything. The closest thing she found was a new medication that could make a trauma victim forget treacherous events, though it was unsure whether it actually worked or was part of the Placebo Effect. For a moment Pepper tensed, thinking. Someone you loved dying would certainly be a traumatic experience...

But no; she discarded this thought almost immediately. Firstly, he wasn't dead, that she was sure of. Just gone. The differences in the realities proved that. And secondly, she knew for a fact she would never of her own accord choose to forget anything of her past, especially him.

Gloomily, she stood and began to pace, imagining the floor eroding under her feet and creating a path on the floor. There was something else, something she wasn't sure if she was forgetting or simply didn't want to remember. Why had he been taken from her? Whenever she tweaked at the thought her throat tightened a bit and her heartbeat became erratic and quickened. She didn't have time to dwell on this as she passed by her bedroom window, glimpsing a shadowy silhouette outside in the darkness. She hadn't noticed the light drizzle that had begun to fall until she rushed to the window, throwing it up with a sharp crack and raindrops splashing against her exposed face. Someone was standing outside her window, silent, watching, but not sinister as she would have expected. This felt more familiar and welcoming, and somehow, though cloaked in shadow was he, she felt sure she knew who it was.

"Tony!" she cried, practically flinging herself out the window. "Don't move!" She ran out of her room and flew through the corridor, not bothering to put on a jacket or even shoes as she wrenched the front door open and erupted outside. She slipped and fell down the steps, ripping a long gash in the lower part of her pants, but she picked herself up and ran again. She had half expected him to be gone by the time she reached the alley, but there he stood, now facing her. It occurred to her that maybe she should be scared, that maybe this was a nasty trick, but the way her heart was practically exploding with joy upon seeing him told otherwise.

The rain fell in sheets around him, all but obscuring him from sight. Every once in a while, through a pause in the icy torrents, she thought she glimpsed a red shirt; but for certain, ripping apart the darkness like icy fire, were his electric sapphire eyes, fixated on her. She took a step towards him, overjoyed, but he shook his head. He glanced at her still gaping bedroom window for a moment then turned back to her, an arm lifting as he slightly waved his hand as if in a goodbye, before turning and walking off.

"No! Wait!" She ran after him, desperate to hold him, hear him speak, keep him from deserting her, but she'd forgotten one crucial fact; the alleyway was a dead end. When she reached the end, there was no one. He'd simply vanished. She retraced her steps to make sure he couldn't have snuck off somewhere, but turned up no results. There were no windows, no other exits, and nowhere to hide.

He was gone.

She simply stood still for a moment, the rain washing over her body and wind whipping her hair and shirt around, before the tears came, mixing with the raindrops washing down her cheeks. She pressed her palms into her closed eyes, igniting little parks behind her eyelids, a sob racking her body._ Why? Why is this happening?_

No. No, she was not going to break down, she should be strong. Wallowing in self-pity was infantile. She was strong, even if she didn't feel like it now. She took a deep breath, calmed herself down, a bit of common sense returning as she realized she was standing barefoot and bare-armed in the chilly rain and moved to go back inside. Inside the house she slowly closed the door, watching outside until the door obscured her vision and she fully sealed it shut. Sopping wet, she walked down the hall, wet feet slapping against the floor, shaking her hair like a dog and spraying water droplets everywhere. Donning new garb and toweling her hair dry, she somberly walked over to the computer to shut it down. It was then that she noticed she had an email. Idly checking it, her eyes widened as she read the two words.

_Be careful._

She looked at the top of the message for the sender's name, but there was none. The recipient was marked as Pepper Potts and had her email address, but there was no sender, which...shouldn't even be possible.

This time she was unable to hold back the tears.


	7. Chapter 7

_SilverTongued Dreams- Thanks! I suppose that's sort of what it is. It's sure fun to write! And about Gene, I do have plans for him later on, although I don't know if he'll have a large role or not. Guess you'll just have to wait and see! ;)_

_PercyJacksonLover14- Aw! SQUEE! Thank you so much!_

_SilverPedals1402- Thanks so much! It always makes me happy when I see others enjoy what I write. J_

_Haytar96- Thanks! I hope the wait wasn't too long, and I hope you enjoy!_

_UltraRed55- Haha! "Gave more of the bone." I may have to steal that from you. And I checked out some of your newer stories, and they rock! I need to read the updates, though. And thanks for telling me! (PS You have an awesome taste in music! :D)_

_Guest- I'm glad you like! Hope this is soon enough. J_

_imaAvenger- No, don't fall off! And lol, when I saw "Limbo state" I thought it said "Limo seat" at first. Lol. Thanks!_

_Finny-Kun Goddess- Thank you! Hope you continue to like it! _

_GrooveyIcecream- No, don't die-oh, phew. That was close. Haha, thanks! (BTW, love your name! Ice cream should always be groovey! J)_

_Super Tacocat- Hey, thanks! When I originally wrote down that number I wasn't really considering how logical it was. The number, however, didn't account for each individual person, but more for things including that name, sorta like Google (if that makes sense?). Even then, though, the estimate is pretty radical, so I'll be sure to change it. But thanks for pointing it out to me! I have absolutely no common sense and sometimes I'll read over a story I wrote and wonder what the heck I was thinking, or if I was thinking at all. But thanks!_

_Sorry for the REALLY late update. I've been in a rough bout of it lately from some things that have kind of thrown me off balance, and I just couldn't find the motivation to pick myself up and keep, not only writing, but just doing anything productive. But it doesn't matter, because I've been blessed with endurance and I'll be fine, just like always._

_On a positive note, I've been accepted into an honors clinic, which is neat because I'm the only eighth grader to ever accomplish this in two consecutive years. Plus I've gotten a bunch of ideas to write while running, so I should be good from Writer's Block for a while._

_Not much happens in this chapter, but it's necessary to move the plot along. I waited to post this one, though, until eight was finished so the wait isn't but a day or two long._

_Anyway (wondering if anyone actually reads these), enjoy!_

IMAA_ doesn't belong to me. If it did… *Evil smile*_

Chapter Seven

Rhodey had been waiting at the Pizza Place for over an hour. He'd been surfing the web on his laptop, skimming through his textbook, and checking the time every few minutes, hoping that Pepper just wasn't very punctual and nothing had happened to her. Yesterday's conversation had been the longest talk he had ever had with her, but somehow he knew that it wasn't in her personality to just skip on an agreed meeting for no reason.

He absently fiddled with his phone, reminiscing the previous day's events. As much as he loved his father, he couldn't help thinking that the man's actions seemed rehearsed, like an actor stepping up to fill the role of a father. He was distant, vague, and he didn't seem to remember much of anything before the war, save the letters his family sent him. Instead of his father returning home, it felt more like he was meeting a pen pal who knew nothing more about him than what he said in his messages. Whenever these ugly emotions boiled up inside him he felt egotistic in his thoughts; his dad was alive and well, wasn't that all that mattered?

He was snapped out of his reverie by a girl slipping into the booth opposite him. Rhodey almost hadn't recognized Pepper from her appearance. Her hair was unkempt and frizzy, eyes puffy and mascara smeared around them, and she was dressed simply in a pink t-shirt and dark blue jeans. She was notorious for wearing her favorite bright pink dress and a black tie, and the sight of her dressed so, well, normally made Rhodey instantly snap to attention.

"Are you okay?" Rhodey asked, voice full of sympathy. Apparently, though, she wasn't searching for consolation.

"I'm fine," she answered thickly, her voice so flat it was as though it had been ironed by a clothes iron. Her exuberant, borderline rambunctious, personality seemed to have disappeared, and it was this that shook Rhodey most. "But I need to talk to you."

Her voice was so urgent he didn't question her, instead leaning forward expectantly on the table and folding his hands in front of him. "Shoot."

She looked away from him, chewing on her lower lip before re-fixating her gaze on him. "Tony. You said that name yesterday. Do you know who he is?" She spoke briskly, a slight quaver under-toning her voice.

"I told you, I just slipped up. Why are you so upset about it?"

"Please, just-just think. He's almost as tall as you, he has dark hair, blue eyes."

"Pepper, just take a deep breath for me, okay?" Rhodey requested quietly, trying to calm her from what he considered to be histrionics or a meltdown of some sort, beginning to feel a little bit of worry creep into his heart and constricting in his chest. "You're not thinking rationally-"

"No!" she cried impatiently, slamming the palm of her hand on the table, his attempt to subdue her outbursts apparently only exacerbating her inexplicably panicked pleas. She tried not to feel insulted by his insinuation, and instead said, "Concentrate. Tony Stark. You know him, he's your best friend. Your brother. You know him better than almost anyone! His dad is Howard Stark, and he's a genius. He loves science more than almost everything besides his family, and you're the one who always keeps him from doing stupid stuff. He made this suit of armor, and...and he's called Iron Man, and you, you're War Machine." She stumbled through her words, though she didn't halt, afraid that if she paused she would choke up and be unable to continue.

"Pepper," Rhodey said quietly, uncomfortably aware of how much attention the altercation was attracting, "are you...are you on something? Are you sick, maybe? I can call someone-"

"Rhodey, you know me! I'm not crazy!" Pepper pleaded, grabbing his hands. "I'm not, not sick, not deluded, I'm just me. We were friends, you know me. You have to remember a little bit or you wouldn't have said his name!"

She looked so heartbroken and deranged he couldn't just leave her there or cut her down again, so he decided to humor her. "Okay. Say this guy is real. Where is he?"

The redhead's shoulders drooped. "I-I don't know."

"Ri-ight."

"But if you'll look at these, maybe it'll trigger a memory or something," Pepper said, finally extricating her hands from Rhodey's, digging through some papers, folded to keep them together, out of her purse and sliding them across the table. "They're compilations of some of the places we used to hang out and-"

He was feeling mightily overwhelmed and a little more than a tad worried about the girl's mindset when his phone buzzed in his pocket, and he groaned in dismay when he realized the time. "I'm sorry, Pepper, but I forgot that I promised my mom I'd be home by now," he said with forced disappointment, stuffing his things into his side knapsack before standing and turning to leave. He paused however, trying not to look at her forlorn expression, before grabbing the papers and slipping them into his back pocket to view later, a tiny gesture to indicate a trace of uncertainty in the teenager's mind. Her words were indelible, and he knew he would experience a restless slumber that night.

"Wait!" she cried suddenly before he could walk off, latching onto his forearm and locking eyes with him. "I know this is asking a lot, especially of you, but...please, just keep an open mind."

Then she released his arm and he gave a slight nod before striding off, leaving her sitting at the table. She sighed, wishing she had paced herself a bit more when explaining everything to him; she just threw it all at him and hoped for the best, and now he thought she belonged at the mad house. But she didn't have time to dwell on her morose thoughts, as she had another goal that day.

She had to find a way to meet the Starks.


	8. Chapter 8

_A/N_

_SilverPedals1402- Thanks so much! I try to make it different so you guys can enjoy it. :)_

_PercyJacksonLover14- NOOO! *writes Tony back so he can save you* Whew, that was close... Haha, I'm ecstatic you enjoyed it! :D_

_imaAvenger- Haha, thanks! And yeah, isn't that what all nonexistent boyfriends do? Drive girls nuts? Lol, just kidding. Anyhoo. And thanks! And also, did you know hippopotomonstrosesquipedali ophobia is the fear of long words? XD_

_Espera Para Principe- Thank you, that means a lot! I try to write them as something I would be intrigued to read. And I feel your pain about being busy, but hopefully you'll catch a break soon. :D_

_PottsXStark- Thank you! :)_

_Well, it's been a while, eh? I really wish I had more time to write, but you know how that goes. But I'm not complaining (or perhaps I am... I should quit that...) because even if I'm exhausted, I've been having a lot of fun lately with my family and friends. Plus I got into SEMBDA (the honor band clinic) and another one next week that I'm the only person my age to ever achieve. My aunt's been hovering me like Flavius or Octavia from the HG, but it's still tons of fun to go hang out with her and Uncle. Anyways. I finally got one or two of my friends to go running with me, but after a while they collapse in a ditch. I only realize this after I've been running for a little while and realize they aren't talking to me. But hey, better than nothing!_

_This chapter was written on my Kindle, so sorry for the not-so-great quality. I really just wanted to hurry up and get it out of the way so I could get writing on the next one. :P Hope you enjoy!_

Chapter Eight

"Um, hi," Pepper greeted the receptionist behind the pristine circular desk. The woman's silky caramel hair was neatly pinned back on top of her head, thin, angular bifocals were perched atop her nose, and she was clad in a navy blouse. Her appearance radiated formality, similar to the aura school teachers gave out. "I would like to meet with Mr. Stark."

"Name," the woman asked curtly, her piercing emerald eyes locking on her.

"Ma'am?" Pepper asked.

"Last name, please. For the appointment." Then, apparently seeing the sheepish look spread across the teenager's face, she squinted at her over her glasses. "You _do_ have an appointment, don't you?"

"Not so much," she admitted with a slight shrug. What was she supposed to tell her? _My name's Pepper, and I don't have an appointment, but you really need to let me see the really rich, really intimidating inventor upstairs so that I can save his son that doesn't exist._ Yeah, that sounded convincing. Then, an idea springing to her mind, she added, "But they're expecting me, so..."

"What's your name?" the woman repeated.

"Stane," Pepper said, "Courtney Stane. Whitney's second cousin." She furtively hoped the woman bought the lie, or didn't check too far into the databanks. Or even worse, she thought, maybe the Stanes didn't even work there any more.

With a skeptical glance at her red hair, which made her blush, the receptionist's gaze returned to the screen. "I wasn't aware Obidiah had any family apart from Whitney."

"I live in Vermont," she lied once more, hoping she wasn't as terrible a liar as the son of the man she was trying to meet. It was particularly egregious fabrication to believe, and it would be simple for the woman to call upstairs and check with them. "My family came down for a few days on business and I wanted to visit them, and he said he would be with Mr. Stark today."

"Whitney's in France until the end of the week," the woman said, still eyeing the teen dubiously, "and I can't imagine you want to visit with Obidiah Stane for fun..."

"Money," Pepper blurted out, "I, uh, was going to ask to borrow money." The receptionist nodded, her look of confusion melting away; apparently it wasn't unusual for someone to show up pleading for monetary gifts.

"I'm only going to let you up because you're Stane's cousin and I'm feeling generous today," the woman said, reaching under her desk and procuring a little silver bracelet from a gaping drawer, "but be warned; try anything and there are tons of security guards on every floor watching you." She slid the bracelet across the counter-top and Pepper took it, slipping it onto her wrist. It was a sort of VIP pass into the Stark tower that locked onto the wearer's arm and didn't unclasp until he or she was outside the building. She thanked her, hardly believing her luck, and practically sprinted for the elevator.

A few moments later, emerging onto the fourteenth floor, she searched along the corridor for Howard Stark's office, hoping it was in the same location as she remembered. She didn't encounter any guards, but as she recalled security around the Starks was pretty lax compared to other science facilities and office buildings she had visited.

She caught sight of another desk set in the corner of a expansive room that she recognized as the one Trisha had used to occupy. While there was no one seated in the large black swivel chair, a plaque with the name "Bethany Morris" was displayed on the furnished wood of the desk. To the right she found the room she was searching for, the words "Howard Stark, Stark Industries" etched on the wood, but she found herself hesitating outside. What was she even supposed to say? She hadn't fully thought through how to explain the situation to them, and if Rhodey was any indication, improvising wasn't a very good idea. Before she could make a decision, however, the door opened and she nearly collided for the second time with Maria Stark.

She lurched back as though shocked with electricity, staring wide-eyed at the woman.

"Sorry, I've been so clumsy lately," Maria apologized as she closed the office door behind her. She glanced at her before cocking her head to the side curiously, shifting a purple folder under her left arm. "Didn't I see you yesterday morning?"

Pepper didn't answer; she doubted that she would be capable of articulating anything but a meaningless jumble of words because at that moment, seeing the woman and knowing what she knew now, she realized something. Her whole objective for meeting Howard and Maria was to try and persuade them to help her bring back their son. The most difficult part of that would be convincing them they even had a son, she had assumed, but now a different problem came to light.

Maria was inquiring something of her. Through the fog that seemed to have settled over her mind she realized she was asking if needed help with something.

"I need to find Mr. Stane's office," she mumbled detachedly in a hollow voice, hearing the words as though someone else had spoken them.

"Obidiah? He's two floors up, second office to the right," the woman offered cheerily. "Just be careful, he's in a bit of a tetchy mood today."

"Thanks," Pepper said distractedly, beginning to walk away. She needed to think this through...

"No problem. Remember, two stories up, two offices to the right!"

"'Kay," she responded, having no intentions to follow her directions.

In the reality with Tony, Maria was dead. She had died in a car accident staged by kidnappers trying to get her son, and since here he had never existed, Maria was still alive. Asking them to return things as they were...

That would be synonymous with asking them to choose Tony's life over Maria's.


	9. Chapter 9

_I express my gratitude towards:_

_PottsXStark- Haha, thanks!_

_Haytar96- Thanks, I'm glad you like! SO sorry for the delay._

_Fighter1357- Oh man, my apologies. Haha, anyway, thanks!_

_Guest- Thanks!_

_SilverPedals1402- Haha, thanks! Glad you enjoyed. :)_

_PercyJacksonLover14- Haha, thanks! That compliment means a lot! I know, right? And you're welcome. :)_

_M.I. - Thanks, and sorry for the delay!_

_imaAvenger- Haha, I know... And thankfully I don't, or I wouldn't be able to read some of the books I do! :O_

_Alice. Dreamer 15- Thanks! And don't worry, it's no problem. :)_

_I AM SO FLEAKING SORRY YOU GUYS. I HAD NO INTENTIONS OF BEING AWAY FOR SO LONG. _

_I started getting "HURRY UP" PMs and I figured I'd better update, or suffer the consequences. Anyway, you probably don't want excuses, but here I go anyway: I was on a trip to Tennessee I earned being at the top of the middle school, my sister failed kindergarten and I've been tutoring her, feverishly hoping to still get her in first, my mom is really sick, our truck was stolen, and some other personal stuff. XP _

_GOOD THINGS: We've got a new vehicle, we think my sis may be dyslexic(which just means she'd have to learn differently and can learn better), I got over writer's block, AND I RODE A ROLLER COASTER FOR THE FIRST TIME. The first I rode? The Wild Eagle, the tallest one in the park with NOTHING under your feet. The second? The Tennessee Tornado, the fastest. I had this habit of singing really loudly right before we plunged straight down(which scared me more than going upside down!), which made it really melodramatic, haha. The one that scared me most was Thunderhead, and it was only terrifying because it was wooden. It didn't even go upside down, but the whole time I was screaming, "HELP ME, I'M NOT SUICIDAL!" Haha._

_Anyway, enjoy. This chapter is different than past ones, I think you'll find. Not only does it have more action, it combines elements from- well, you'll see. :)_

_I don't own _IMAA.

Chapter Nine

Pepper had left Stark Towers far behind her when she stopped on calmer section of the sidewalk and hugged her midsection tightly, trying to regain her composure. How could she have missed something so painfully obvious? She wished someone else were there to share in her misery or at least to ease some of the self-deprecation off of her shoulders; not that she deserved as much.

She had run nearly four blocks before she realized she couldn't see due to her blurry vision. Pressing close to a building, she wiped irritably at her eyes, glaring at her scuffed converse as though they were to blame for everything that had gone wrong. Honestly! How could she have missed something so painfully obvious as the presence of a woman who should be dead? Maria Stark, at that? She gave herself a moment to relax before striding away, ignoring the looks she had earned from passerbys.

A moment later she nearly collided with an elderly man. She stumbled back, observing the large crowd he was walking towards, wondering what they were all staring at. This became apparent as she shoved through the crowd, catching sight of several television screens through the thick glass of a shop window; they were all on the same news broadcast channel.

"The Sentinels will appear in New York City as early as tomorrow evening," the young woman was saying grimly into the camera. "Rest assured, parents, that your children will be safe from mutants within mere weeks."

"The Sentinels?" Pepper asked, paling. "They were approved?"

The Sentinels had started out as policemen-like anti-mutant activists who roamed the streets, frisking, incarcerating, and often assaulting, New Yorkers they suspected of being a mutant. Over time, when mutant pandemonium reached its peak, the concept had been taken to Hammer Multinational and had evolved into robotic "defenders"; also known as thirty-foot-tall murdering androids keyed in to the mutants' genetic code.

"You're not a mutie sympathizer, are you?" the elderly man asked her suspiciously, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose. Several others turned at hearing his accusation, and Pepper felt a brief flare of panic; anyone who commiserated with the inhumans was treated almost as cruelly as the mutants themselves.

"Of course not," she said curtly, as though it was an egregiously ridiculous idea. "I want those freaks in lock and key before they start blowing up innocent children." Seemingly convinced with her answer, everyone turned back to the screens, where a reporter was now telling about the gruesome murders mutants had committed in the last few weeks across the globe; conveniently leaving out anything about the dozens of innocent inhumans being slaughtered in Manhattan.

Feeling slightly queasy now, Pepper turned, wanting to leave as quickly as possible. If she got into even more trouble now…

She was about to step onto the road and hurry across the street while she had the go-ahead from the crossing lights when her phone rang. A man with a briefcase gave her a small glare as she bumped into him as she turned, pausing on the sidewalk to answer the call. The number wasn't shown, which was peculiar. Somewhat hesitantly, expecting one of those vexatious telemarketers would answer, she answered, "Hello?" Silence replied, except for an underlying buzzing noise. "Hello-?"

_Screech!_

A black sedan shot through the red light, downing several of the civilians crossing the street. As the two others knocked down stirred, injured, on the ground, the man Pepper would have been walking beside lay motionless facedown, his briefcase a few feet from his head. A moment later all four doors of the vehicle burst open, and three masked men and one woman leaped out, automatic firearms perched on their shoulders as they ordered everyone to the ground. Chaos broke out; men and women panicked and ran for shelter, some dialing the New York Police Department as they scurried away, and others nearer the instigators of the incident simply stayed rooted in shock.

"I said get down!" one man barked, and as he brought his weapon's sights to focus at eyelevel, Pepper was the first to react. She shouted for others to duck as she pulled an elderly man and a little girl to the ground, and a second later a volley was released on the fleeing citizens. Dozens dropped like marionettes whose strings had been cut, with a short cry or startled gasp. The man beside her covered the trembling girl's eyes so she didn't see the felled, but Pepper, almost numb with horror, risked a peek to see what the murderers were doing. Two were crouching beside the victims and searching their pockets or purses for anything of value and frisking those still alive at gunpoint; the others were making sure the cars that hadn't sped off were empty while keeping their eyes on the windows of commercial buildings.

As they neared, the redhead crawled over to a woman lying half on the sidewalk and half on the road, her white blouse stained with crimson. She was in the process of applying pressure to the wound when there was a sharp pain on her head and she found herself being dragged back by the roots of her hair. She struggled violently as she was kicked in the side, her purse torn from her shoulder, and her anger flared with blue flames when she saw the injured woman being roughly searched for valuables. One man forced her to her feet and held her arms over her head while the female assailant checked her pockets and purse for items of any value. This is just a common occurrence now, Pepper thought bitterly. A few sparse muggers and thieves have escalated into mass murderers that wipe their victims clean of anything monetary. It just proves how badly the city needs a defender-needs Tony.

Wasn't anyone coming? Or was the NYPD too busy with criminal activity elsewhere? Was it possible they were staking out the rooftops, knowing they couldn't do anything with civilians at risk, or was it the unthinkable and no one cared they were being slaughtered?

As the woman was dropped back to the ground with a faint whimper, Pepper pleaded, "She needs to staunch the blood flow or she'll bleed out-"

"Yes, because we really care if she dies," the man searching her purse said sardonically as he dropped her belongings and hefted his gun. "See, the police haven't shown up yet. They have better fish to fry elsewhere. Then where's the FBI? SWAT? Anyone? S'far as I'm concerned, that gives us a free pass to silence who we like." As if to prove it he cocked the gun and hovered his finger over the trigger. However, before he could shoot her a car parked on the curb a few feet from them revved its engine threateningly.

"What the-? I thought you said you checked all the cars that didn't drive off!" the man shouted.

"I did!" the woman retorted irritably across the street, having not heard the motor. "Don't know what you're griping 'bout."

"Let's just finish up here and leave. The police will probably man up and bust up in here soon," the fourth thug shouted. "Shoot the survivors."

This order was never completed, as the Chevrolet that had captured their attention moments prior ground away from the curb with a shrill whine and slammed into the artillery-wielder closest to Pepper. Before anyone could rush to his aid all of the lights on the street dimmed, blanketing them in near darkness, and through the oppressive obscurity they heard the threatening purr of another motor, and another, and then nearly every car revving its engine in the vicinity, as though warning them, _You just try it._

The remaining thugs panicked, and they had cleared out in under a minute, abandoning their own mutinous vehicle and footing it. A few moments passed by in silence, save for the growling of the motors, before the lights again illuminated the street and the cars were silenced. Pepper could only sit there, leaning back and propping herself up with her palms, still dazed with shock. She might have stayed like that all night had she not heard the whine of ambulances in the distance nearing and heard the light moans of those in pain around her.

When the paramedics and NYPD arrived at long last, Pepper approached a hassled-looking officer standing off to the side, speaking into his hand-held walkie-talkie. She tried to keep her voice toneless so that the fury in it couldn't be heard when she asked, "What the heck took you so long getting here?"

"Miss, please, it's been a rough day…"

"It's been a rough day? Seriously? That's all you can say? I'm very certain that my day topped any bad day you've ever had," Pepper snarled, not bothering to mask the fury in her voice. "What- took- you guys- so -_freaking_ -long?"

"Well, there were some mutants in Central we had to attend to, and…" He frowned and rubbed the back of his neck, not meeting her eyes. "We can't afford to lose any more squad members. There have been six more police casualties this week alone, and the numbers of people applying for the force are dwindling. But we came after the shooters left, and we're doing what we can now," he added hastily, seeing the pale look on the redhead's face.

Pepper could only walk away; knowing that anything she said or did would only end badly. At least she had gained something from the traumatic escapade.

The knowledge that Tony was still looking after her.


End file.
